Sen. Dave Syverson

Amends the Constitutional Revision Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that amendments to the Illinois Constitution (currently, Article IV of the Constitution only) may be proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least eight percent of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election. Provides that the initiative process shall not be used for the proposal, modification, or repeal of any portion of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution or to modify the initiative process for proposing amendments to the Constitution. Makes conforming changes. Effective upon being declared adopted.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that a defendant who at the time of the commission of the offense has attained the age of 18 or more and who has been found guilty of first degree murder may be sentenced to death if the murdered individual was a peace officer killed in the course of performing his or her official duties, to prevent the performance of his or her official duties, or in retaliation for performing his or her official duties, and the defendant knew or should have known that the murdered individual was a peace officer. Enacts the Capital Crimes Litigation Act of 2022. Provides specified funding and resources for cases in which a sentence of death is an authorized disposition. Creates the Capital Litigation Trust Fund. Provides that all unobligated and unexpended moneys in the Death Penalty Abolition Fund are transferred into the Capital Litigation Trust Fund. Amends the State Appellate Defender Act. Provides that in cases in which a sentence of death is an authorized disposition, the State Appellate Defender shall provide trial counsel with legal assistance and the assistance of expert witnesses, investigators, and mitigation specialists from funds appropriated to the State Appellate Defender specifically for that purpose by the General Assembly. Provides that the Office of State Appellate Defender shall not be appointed to serve as trial counsel in capital cases. Amends the Freedom of Information Act, the State Finance Act, and the Criminal Code of 2012 to make conforming changes.

Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the COVID-19 Civil Immunity Act. Provides that an entity is immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to any individual or damages caused by an act or omission resulting in or relating to exposure, directly or indirectly, to the novel coronavirus identified as SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 in the course of or through the performance or provision of the entity's functions or services, unless the act or omission involves reckless or wanton conduct or intentional misconduct.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the County Jail Act. Permits currently employed and retired State correctional officers and county correctional officers to carry their own firearms off duty without being in violation of the unlawful use of weapons and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon statutes if they meet certain training requirements.

Amends the Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, if an applicant who qualifies for the senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption moves to a different residence in the State and continues to qualify for the exemption, then the new residence shall qualify for the exemption beginning with the taxable year in which the qualified applicant takes ownership of the new residence. Provides that the base year shall be the year prior to the year in which the qualified applicant takes ownership of the new residence. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a grant program for local chambers of commerce. Provides that the Department shall allocate $5,000,000 as grants to eligible chambers of commerce in amounts equivalent to 2 months of lost revenue, or 1/6th of the annual lost revenue, between 2019 and 2020 from funds appropriated under the American Rescue Plan Act. Provides that eligible chambers of commerce must have less than 1,500 paid members. Provides for the adoption of rules.

Amends the Park Commissioners Land Sale Act. Provides that the Rockford Park District may sell all or part of the property containing the former Elliot Golf Course or other property adjacent thereto if: (1) the board of commissioners of the Rockford Park District authorizes the sale and determines by majority vote that the property is no longer necessary, appropriate, or required for the use of, or for the best interests of, the Rockford Park District; and (2) the property or portion of the property is sold for fair market value. Provides that the sale may be performed in a single transaction or multiple independent transactions and to one or more buyers. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2025. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with changes. Changes the requirements for Rockford Park District to sell all or part of the property containing the former Elliot Golf Course or other property adjacent thereto to the following: (1) the board of commissioners of the Rockford Park District authorizes the sale by a vote of 80% or more of all commissioners in office at the time of the vote; and (2) the sale price equals or exceeds the average of 3 independent appraisals commissioned by the Rockford Park District. Provides that the Public Works Department of the City of Rockford has the right to review development plans prepared for the affected properties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes provision that it is an affirmative defense to a charge of solicitation of a sexual act with a person who is under the age of 18 or who is a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability that the accused reasonably believed the person was of the age of 18 years or over or was not a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability at the time of the act giving rise to the charge. Provides that solicitation of a sexual act from a person who is under the age of 18 or whom the solicitor of the sexual act reasonably believes to be under the age of 18 is a Class 4 felony. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as introduced but deletes provision that solicitation of a sexual act from a person whom the solicitor of the sexual act reasonably believes to be under the age of 18 is a Class 4 felony.